Recipe: Classic French Madeleines

_{Photo: Austin Irving for So Haute}

Soft, buttery and full of lemon flavor, the classic French madeleine is one of my favorite sweet treats. When I was in college I was a hostess at an restaurant in Chicago called one sixtyblue. After the check was presented to a table there, each guest was served a single madeleine on a tiny white plate compliments of the pastry chef. The madeleines were plentiful so every single night I worked I would sneak off to the kitchen at least once to devour a few. And so began my love affair with this delicious, cake-like cookie. Madeleines are very simple to make. I’ve tried about a half dozen recipes over the years but this is the one that always results in perfection. I made a batch a couple of weeks ago and above is a picture of the final result. Thanks to Austin Irving for taking photos of my baked goods!

Classic French Madelines

_{Adapted from Martha Stewart Living}

Makes approx 2 dozen

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 cups), melted, plus additional for greasing your pan

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

3 large eggs plus 2 additional egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 heaping teaspoon of sour cream

2 1/2 tablespoons of freshly grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons total)

Before you begin: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your madeleine pan using melted butter. Set aside.

Step 1: Grate your lemon zest. I like a lot of lemon flavor but you can adjust the amount of zest based on your preference. To grate my lemon I use a nifty citrus grater by Microplane that I picked up at Williams-Sonoma. Tip: You can do this step in advance. Just refrigerate your zest in an airtight storage container until you’re ready to use.

Step 2: Put your eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest to a bowl and mix on high speed using an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes until thickened and smooth. If you are using a hand mixer, mix for about 6 minutes. Next, mix in the butter, about 1 minute.

Step 3: Fold in the flour using a spatula, then let the batter rest approximately 20 minutes.

_{Photo: Austin Irving for So Haute}

Step 4: Spoon batter into greased pan filling each mold approx 3/4 full. Bake for 7-10 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking. Cookies are done when tester inserted in center comes out clean and edges are golden. Invert madeleines onto wire rack and let cool.

_{Photo: Austin Irving for So Haute}

Step 5: Dust madeleines with confectioners sugar and enjoy!

Stylish Serving Tip: Small desserts like madeleines look great on a footed platter or a cake stand. I served mine on a vintage glass cake stand purchased on ebay which you can see in the photo above. Below are two great options for serving your madeleines and other desserts. The first is a chic hand-blown glass cake stand with pewter bead edging and base by Arte Italica from Neiman Marcus, $208. The next one is a budget-friendly glass cake stand with dome lid from Martha Stewart Everyday at K Mart. (similar here).

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